Thesis Type: Master Thesis for Computer Science or Computer Engineering students or equivalent

Required Skills: • Good written English level • Java, C++ or equivalent Object-Oriented language • Version control system (GIT, SVN) • Proactive mindset, problem-solving oriented • Python or equivalent scripting languages will be a plus

DescriptionMotivation: The number of mass-market application and services leveraging position information is continuously growing. The increasing availability of GNSS-enabled devices eases the growth of location-based solutions (LBS) also beyond personal applications. Furthermore, the concrete global business of the Internet of Things (IoT) is influencing almost all application domains, thanks to the massive amounts data generated by autonomous, connected objects all over the world. Exponential growth in the number of deployed IoT devices is foreseen to exceed the value of 4000 billion€ before 2025 – with a growing share of devices offering position information. Because interconnected devices collect and share large amounts of sensitive information, including personal position information, it is crucial to safeguard the privacy and security of users and the data exchanged throughout private and public networks.

Objectives: Study and implementation of state-of-the-art multi-service federation approaches to facilitate and foster interoperability of LBS with Internet of Things (IoT), Smart City, and Collective Awareness Platforms. Such integration aims to provide LBS outside the traditional bound of location-based applications and businesses. Special attention will be given to interoperability considering e-security aspects (ranging from secure certificate-based services to light-weight identity services such as the ones based on OpenID or OAuth 2.0). Federation methodologies will be based, again, on open standard and technologies, to ensure maximum outreach and facilitate business exploitation of the developed methodologies.